Curiosity Pact Act #3: Challenge Assumptions
Curious Collaborations
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“Why?” Kim, the new manager of an internal production team said to her lead designer, Mel.
“What do you mean, why?” Mel responded, blinking.
Kim leaned back as her chair creaked, looked at the ceiling, and sighed. Kim had been on the job for 6 weeks, observing how poorly this team performed, and had learned enough to start asking questions.
They were talking about the production process they used with internal stakeholders.
“Why do we do it this way?” Kim responded, suddenly giving Mel a piercing look.
Mel was a little unprepared for the question, as if it had never occurred to him before.
“Eh, well, it was done that way when I got here, and we’ve sort of always done it that way. Our internal clients can be very demanding and freak out whenever something unexpected happens.” Mel said, in a flustered voice, realizing in real time how defensive that sounded.
“Ok. Did you ask them why?” Kim leaned in for the answer.
Mel stiffened. “Your predecessor held a pretty tight grip on client communication, so I would say no.”
Kim chuckled a bit, “Listen, Mel, you're not in trouble. It’s a bit of a trick question. I’ve been trying to understand what’s really going on around here. To be honest, I’ve done my homework.”
Kim had indeed done her homework. The team had been together a long time, and mostly ran on autopilot, which was part of the problem. So Kim spent those first 6 weeks on a listening tour with all those so-called difficult stakeholders.
“Look at this data, Mel. I’ve sat down with every person we serve for at least an hour and collected their thoughts on 7 key areas to understand how we are perceived, and ask how we can serve them better. To be blunt, they’re not happy with us. They’re frustrated and they actually WANT change.”
“It’s not that they don’t like us as people,” Kim continued. “It's that we are not meeting their needs in very specific ways. It’s gotten to the point where several have asked the CMO if they can use outside vendors instead of us. And nobody wants that, right?”
Mel’s face became flushed as he squirmed in his seat. “That’s news to me. Some of these are pipe dreams, and some I strongly disagree with. It seems like many of our clients don’t understand what we do.”
Mel paused and let out a deep sigh. “I have to admit, I agree with some of these points, more or less. I have ideas about how to address these issues, but in the past it’s been tough to get buy-in for these kinds of changes.”
“Don’t assume any of that, Mel!” Kim exclaimed. “You’re our most experienced team member, and I need your ideas and your help. Most of all, I need you to approach this with an open mind. At least we know what the issues are now, right? Things aren’t going to just improve by themselves. We need to bring everyone into the effort to figure this out.”
“Yeah…” Mel said thoughtfully, staring at the screen, absorbing new information and imagining new possibilities. “Ok, well, where do we start?”
“Can you schedule a group session next week in the collaboration studio, with our team, volunteers from each stakeholder group, and Radha from senior leadership? Together we can dive in deeper and hash out a plan. Let’s bring lunch in, and Mel? I’d like you to run it.”
Mel looked stunned. “Me? I wouldn’t know where to start!”
Kim laughed and put a hand on Mel’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there to help. I believe in you. We can do this.”
The Value of Challenging Assumptions
In our everyday life we constantly operate under assumptions. We assume we will wake up in the morning. We assume our car will start when we go to work. We assume our colleagues understood the presentation we shared recently.
Assumptions are deeply ingrained beliefs or ideas we hold about ourselves, others, and the world around us. Assumptions guide our thinking, decisions, and actions. They can be based on past experiences, cultural conditioning, or limited information, and they are different for every person.
At a primal level, assumptions developed to help us identify and categorize our environment to keep us safe. Assumptions eliminate the thinking process and help us act.
Think, a lion is chasing you. You know it’s faster and therefore pointless to run. You assume you can fight and maybe kill it. You stop and try. At least you have a chance.
But assumptions not based on reason or proof can be dangerous. What was true yesterday might not be true today or in the future. Anecdotes are not evidence.
Assumptions often hide in the depths of our subconscious mind. They often go unnoticed and unstated, and if incorrect assumptions are left unchallenged, they can cost us a great deal in our professional and personal lives.
It's very common for us to assume we know people’s motives, abilities, and skills. When we make assumptions about others we run a high risk of being wrong. This can lead to significant problems in workplace relationships and organizational performance..
How to Challenge Assumptions Productively
Here are four useful tips to build a conscious practice of challenging assumptions:
1. Question Our Thinking
The hardest part about challenging assumptions is identifying them. We first need to question our thinking upon which our assumptions are based. Questions like:
While these questions may seem obvious at first glance, unless we consciously, deliberately explore them, it's easy to live on decision-making autopilot.? And as leaders and teammates, it’s critical to identify and introspect our own biases, especially in a collaborative setting.?
2. Nurture Diverse Points of View
When we operate with an “assumption mindset", or in an environment prone to “groupthink”, people with different points of view are often seen as a source of conflict, irritation, or negativity. Before rushing to judgment, explore whether their unique perspective might have validity, or even represent a missing piece or breakthrough.
The beauty of diversity is in how we learn from one another when we welcome other people's stories. Divergent thinking is a SOURCE of great ideas, not an obstacle - we are stronger when we let it flourish.
3. Ask More Questions
It seems obvious - yet do we do it enough? Instead of jumping to conclusions, if we want to truly understand people and situations, what if we simply ask others for their perspective, vantage point, and ideas?
Instead of basing our beliefs on what we think we know, we can surface broader insights that generate clarity. Many destructive conflicts, misunderstandings, and unforced errors can be avoided simply by not taking things for granted, and asking questions like:
While there is a limit to everything, when in doubt, just ask.
4. Make an Assumptions List
Surfacing and listing our assumptions helps us manage them by making them visible, shareable, and actionable. Once you have a list for your project, team , or situation, you can get on top of them. Typical assumptions include:
THE POINT:
The learning and insights that come from Challenging Assumptions provide some of the deepest benefits of collaboration, and a skill we can consciously and continuously work at every day. Let’s start NOW!
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VP, Partnerships @ Fundraise Up | Founder of CollabUnity; Business Growth & Partnership Development Executive
1 年The most dangerous assumption I've ever made is that my ideas aren't as good as someone else's.